Derek Jeter: 5 Things You Didn't Know

There's More To Derek Jeter Than Meets The Eye...

4. He played high school basketball against some future NBA stars

Though baseball was his primary sport, Jeter also played basketball at Kalamazoo Central High School, where he was an all-state guard. Before he attended the University of Michigan and watched Wolverine basketball stars Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, Jeter actually played against the two at the Grade 8 and 9 levels. In a 2004 Sports Illustrated article he wrote, he recalled being a good player but supremely outmatched when it came to facing off against the two future NBA players. Both Webber and Rose went on to enjoy long, successful pro careers after their Michigan days.

5. He looks for his parents before every opening pitch

Some players say the fans are just a blur; they’re so focused in on the game that they rarely hear or see the thousands of bodies that make up the crowd — this isn’t the case for Jeter. The shortstop’s parents still attend many of his games, and he makes a point of making eye contact with his mother before the action begins. Jeter’s mother, Dorothy, told CBS’s 60 Minutes in 2005 that Jeter has communicated this way with her since Little League, and even when she’s surrounded by the 50,000-plus fans at Yankee Stadium, Jeter always looks over at her and gives her a little nod.